Drawbar construction



Feb. 3,1925.

H. E. VAN DORN DRAWBAR COfiSTRUCTION Filed Dec. f1, 1x921- 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 Feb. 3, 1925. v 1,524, 79

H. E. VAN DORN DRAWBAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 17, 1921 2 shuts-sheet 2 I fall I Mini;

"W'iiiiiiiuiliiiummll Patented Feb. 3, 19250 .tszwe Y oerrcs.

IDBAWBAR CONSTRUCTION,

Application filed December 17, 1921. Serial No. 523;015.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. VAN DoRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improveinent in Drawbar Constructions, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. v

The present invention has for its object to produce a novel drawbar construction for railway cars which will permit the coupler head to oscillate about a longitudinal axis without employing any elements which will detract from the simplicity, ruggedness and durability highly desirable in structures of this kind and without making it necessary to select any particular form of attachmentbetween the rear end of a drawbar and a car.

Viewed in another of its aspects my in vention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple, novel and sturdy drawbar construction which will permit the coupler head to move longitudinally in the usual way, swing in a vertical-plane and oscillate about a longitudinal axis.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the follow-.

ing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,- wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drawbar arranged in accordance with the present invention, the coupler head being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection on an enlarged scale through the front end of the drawbar and coupler stem;

Fig. 3'is a section taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a bottomplan view of that portion of the drawbar shown in Fig. 2;

. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the coupler stem disconnected from the dra-wbar but having its locking and holding ring in position thereon; I

Fig. 6 is a view of the locking ring detached from the coupler stem, the parts thereof beingfastened together; and

Fig. 7 is a front view of the drawbar, that about a vertical axis passing through the rear end thereof. The front end of the is a view taken approximately on line 77 drawbar is adapted to be supported upon a H suitable arc-shaped bar or track 4:; there being a saddle 5 hung upon'this track or bar so as to be slidable along the same. The

saddle, as best shown in Fig. 7, has downwardly-projecting side-flanges 6 each of which is provided at its lower edge with an inwardly-directed ledge 7. At the front end of the draw bar is a long fiat nose '8 which rests loosely upon the ledges 7 so as to permit the drawbar as a whole to move back and forth in the longitudinal direction relatively to the saddle. Just below andin rear of the supporting nose ofthe drawbar is a hollow cylinder 9 arranged with its axis extending in the longitudinal direction; the cylinder being open at bothends The stem for supporting the coupler head is in the form of a hollow cylinderor tube .10 fitting within the cylinder 9; the stem being enlarged at the front end so as'to provide a rearwardly-facing shoulder 11 which will bear against the front end of the cylinder 9 and limit the inward movement of the stem into the surrounding cylinder. The

rear end of the stem projects'somewhat'be.,

yond the supporting cylinder and is"pro vided with an annular groove 12the forward bounding wall of which .lies in approximately the same vertical plane as the rear end of the cylinder 9 when the parts are assembled so that the shoulder 11 engages with the front end of that cylinder. In order to hold the coupler stem-securely against withdrawal when a pull is exerted upon the drawbar, I have provided a lock-- ing device in the form of a divided ring made of two parts 13 and 14 which, when placed together, will fit into the groove 12 and project therefrom far enough to engage sheared before the stem can be pulled out.

'VVhile the coupler stem is securely held against beingpul'led out orpushedback through the-supporting bearing on the 'd rawbar, it may freely rotatein-said bearing about its own axis. In order to limit the extent to which thecoupler stem nay rotatefl have provided the drawbar with a pair of; limiting plugs 18 and 19 projecting itorwardlyfrom thB'lOWGK side of] the cyllaitter, and spaced apart fronreach other transversely of the'drawbar. On the stem 10 is a rib or lug '20 which lies between the lugs 18 and 19an d, by engagingwith-one 2 or the other of these lugs as the-stein is oscillated, serving to limit- -the oscillatory movements of-the stem.

' At-tl16fIjOIliQ -Bfld ofthe couplersten are two separated forwardlyextending wings .Zland 22 between which any suitablecou- Y plei' head may be placed and held so; as to {have freedom o'f vertical swinging move- 5 ments means of a-suitable-pim-not shown, .4.

pa ssing 'through registering openings-23 in thesejyvings. It is desirable to support the coupler head yield-ingly in apredetermined normalfposition so that --its downward Iswinging movements belowthat position j'will' beflagainst the tension of-the springs which normally hold the-head up. To this I endl have placed within the coupler stem, just behind the-wingsQl and 22, a vertical, verticallymovable plunger 24 having on its lower end aflange 25 on which restsa comf pression spring 26 whose upper end bears against the; top wall of the chamber 27 in Tivhich the spring andplungerare located. lowerj end of the chamber isclosed by means" or a suitable detachable plate 28 "through which the head 29' constituting that j' piart of the plunger below the flange 25 Liurojeots. The head ot theplunger rests nipon the rear end of a lever 30 which is ipivotally supported between its ends be tween ears 31 extending downwardly from the wingsgl and 22, by means ota suitable [bolt .32 passing 7 through jthedever. "The front end ofithe ,leyer projects-forwardlyfar enough to: lie underneath and support a coupler head bfsuch' for example, as shown in :dottech lines .at-33'inFig. 1.

I claim'i '1. In combinatioma draw bar having at 1.6 its i'ront'end a housing in the tor in of an through said ears and elongated cylindrical sleeve, a cylindrical stem -.-extending-, thnqngh and rotatably fitted in saidfsleeve, means at the front end ofsaid stem for supporting a coupler head, I; and shoulders .,on said stem in engagement with the opposite ends of the sleeve to hold the against lengthwise movement.

2. In combination, a draw bar terminating at-thez front iend in a housing having the form of an elongated cylindrical sleeve, a cylindrical stem extending throughsaid sleeve and rotatably fitted therein, means at the frontend ofasaid stem tonsuppo-rting a coupler head, shoulders on; said stem beyondthe frontv and rear-lends of saidsleeve to hold the-stein. against: lengthwise movement, one of .saidshoulders being 1 detach able.

' 3. In-co1nbination,a draw-bar terminat- 2 lindrica'l member 9, at the lowerend of the ing at the front end inahousing having the form of an. elongated-cylindrical sleeve, a stem extending "through and rotatably fitted in said sleeve, means on the front .end otlthe stem forvsupporting a coupler head. shoulders on thestem beyond the front and rear...ends ofnsaidsleeve to hold. the stern [against lengthwise,mo vement,. said sleeve having on the extreme thereof lugs spaced apart angularly-ot the sleeve, and-aparton said. stem 1 lying i between v said lugs and adapted to beengaged -thereby at the end of alimited. angular novement oi said stein. ft drawbai: having at the tront. end a cylindrical sleeve arranged with its axis extending tlongitiuglinally and open ,atthe 1 ends, a stem fitting-re ably'in saidsleevc and havinga shoulder;adapted to engage -iwiththe front end-of the sleeve to limit .ihe rearward movement; of the stem, means at the front; end; of the stem: for support ing a coupler;head,a ;sa-id stem .having an ,annulaim roove therein beyond the rear end of the sleeve, and; a retaining ;1lI 1gfiX(l in- :to lsaidwgroove and projecting out of the same 1 farenough: to engage with the, rear end of theslee've to, prevent the withdrawal of: the fillelll in the, fo-rwa rddirection.

1r drawbar having; atthefront end a cylindricalsleeve arrangied with its extending;-longitudinally and openat the cnds,--astem= fittingretatably in ,saidsleeve ,.and havingea shoulder a dapted to. eng with the front end of the sleeve to; unit the rearward nc tement eta-the stem, means at r the -t'ront end .Of g the stein .i or. i hpporting a coupleu head,said:stern haningan annular g1;o,ove---,therei1nbeyond the rear endof the sleeve. a retaining ring fitting-into said groove and-,rprojecting;(outof the same far enough to engage -with.the rear ;end ofthc sleeve to prevent;the-,withtlrawal of the stem in v the 'forward direction, said ring being; divided -into a plurality of parts having projecting engaging ears, and.. bolts vpassing through said ears to iasten the parts of the ring together and hold them in said groove.

6. In combination, a d'awbar having at the front end a cylindrical housing, a coupler stem mounted in said housing so as to be held against lengthwise movement and have capacity for angular movements about its axis, a tongue projecting forward- 1y from the draw-bar at a point above the housing, a support for the front end of said drawbar having a seat for slidably supporting said tongue, and a spring draft rigging connected to the rear end of said drawbar to permit the drawbar to move in the longitudinal direction.

7. In combination, a drawbar having a cylindrical seat whose axis extends longitudinally, a coupler stem mounted in said seat so as to be held against longitudinal movements and have capacity for angular movements about said axis, a springpressed plunger extending vertically in said stem in front of said housing, means on the front end of the stem for supporting a coupler head so as to permit the latter to swing in a vertical plane, and a lever pivotally mounted on said stem in advance of said plunger and having its rear end engaging with said plunger, the front end of, said lever being adapted to underlie and sup port a coupler head.

8. In combination, a drawbar having a cylindrical housing at the front end arranged with its axis extending longitudinally, a coupler stem mounted in said housing so as to be movable angularly about said axis, means at the front end of the stem for pivotally supporting a coupler head so as to permit the latter to swing in a vertical plane, said stem having therein in rear of the aforesaid means a chamber open at the bottom, a spring-pressed vertical plunger in said chamber adapted to be moved into and out of the same through the open bottom of the latter, a cover for said open bottom having an opening through which the lower end of the plunger projects, and a lever pivotally mounted on the stem in front of said plunger and having its rear end in engagement With said plunger, the frontend of the lever being adapted. to underlie and support a coupler head pivoted to the stem.

9. In combination, a drawbar yieldingly supported at its rear end to permit it to move bodily in the longitudinal direction and swing about a vertical axis adjacent to the rear end, means for supporting the front end of the drawbar so as to permit it to swing in a horizontal plane about said vertical axis, and means for supporting a coupler head upon the front end of the dravvbar so .as to permit the head to oscillate about a horizontal longitudinal axis and about a horizontal transverse axis.

In testimony whereof, I sign this speci fication.

HERBERT E. VAN DORN. 

